How Safe Is Your Local Bike Path?

[6zfshdb]

Where I live, the lockdown is scheduled to be lifted on 5/8. When this happens, I'd like to get back to riding my local bike trails. Post lockdown, social distancing is still required. Keeping a 6 foot separation from others isn't possible on most of the trails I ride. I normally don't frequent crowded trails and most encounters are brief and occur when passing others. What are the chances of contracting the virus by riding through a "cloud" of moisture droplets from a cough or sneeze made by a fellow trail user?

I know there is no real answer to this question and little on the subject has been posted on line. I'm interested in the opinion of other riders and what they plan to do. Wearing a mask, using a helmet with a full face shield or just plain staying home are all considerations. Any other ideas or suggestions?

 

[Daffyh]

Hasnt stopped me footpath or otherwise, i give way and try to make room if not well we pass closer by.
Chances of catching in your mentioned scenario who knows, probably win the lottery first.

 

[6zfshdb]

Hasnt stopped me footpath or otherwise, i give way and try to make room if not well we pass closer by.
Chances of catching in your mentioned scenario who knows, probably win the lottery first.

You may be right.

I did read somewhere that if you are close enough to smell a persons after shave or perfume, you are close enough to catch the virus. I almost always catch a whiff when passing others.

 

[Cowlitz]

There are no bike paths here.

I "share the road". There is no other option. I do catch whiffs of pot and tobacco smoke from cars going by but I think I'll be ok unless one of the stoned drivers hits me.

 

[opimax]

6ft was for walking I think it recommended 20 ft to follow someone on a bike, please check to confirm

 

[harryS]

On an empty street, we go way out of the way to avoid people. I still see people passing closely on sidewalks.***

I do not think it is that safe on a path that is 10' wide. Of course, you need a really sick person spraying germs. I figure if 5 out of a hundred people are carrying the virus, then catching it on the air from a ride is probably lower odds than dying from it once you catch it. If a cross wind is blowing, I feel the risk is pretty low.

If everyone wore face coverings, the odds of areosol infection surely would go down.

What also changes is you cannot sit down anywhere or touch anything. Let someone else push the button for the traffic signals, or press it with a stick.

***A meeting of the double paranoid club. Why not? I'm been a hypochondriac and germo-phobe all my life. When I was 10, I told the science teacher it was unsafe to hold the mercury she put in our hands. She smiled and said no worries. Today that whole school would be closed down by hazmat for a week.

 

[opimax]

I dont wear a mask when riding or expect others to. I stop and sit at the most unlikely place anyone else would sit , just away from traffic since the road is the only place I can ride , mainly curbs on a small side streets but not even on corners, further down in front of non residential lots such as treed areas. I don’t have contact with anyone if I can avoid it and then distance as many feet as possible. I have not spoken to anybody in 3 weeks while riding every other day.

I don’t touch trash cans, I bring my orange peels home to throw out.

Mercury was fun while wearing our glow in the dark watches which really were radioactive. So many things I did I wouldn’t do now. Btw, if it says not safe for pregnant women or children it really isnt safe for anyone.

 

[ruffruff]

I was thinking that very thing the other day, if I can smell you it's too close. Those molecules came off you and got to me! YIKES!

I'm a big hunter and there is a basic rule....every 1/4 mile you go in on public land you cut the people in half! The trails in the heart of the metro are PACKED!
So we pack up the bikes and head about 20 minutes west to the same trail and there is basically no one on the trail!

 

[Readytoride]

...What are the chances of contracting the virus by riding through a "cloud" of moisture droplets from a cough or sneeze made by a fellow trail user?

If you follow the podcast of the Infectious Disease experts, all doctors, it has been mentioned several times that studies have been made about viruses being contracted just by breathing them in from the air, even when the person that expelled them has left the area and is now at a distance. If you don't breathe in, there is a good chance that they will still contact the fluid membranes of your body like your eyes, or your mouth, and enter your system through those avenues. If it was me, and I had only the trail to ride, I would certainly ride with a mask and glasses on, because those microscopic viruses can hang in the air a lot longer than one suspects.

There are several YouTube videos out explaining how the air around us is affected by others, and the time it takes for that expelled air to dissipate or settle. In the case of cycling through someone's "exhaust" I'd want to be at least 1/10 of a mile behind them to feel relatively safe, especially considering the viability and contagion rate of the current virus.

Given a choice I would completely avoid any heavily-used used trail, or even a lightly-used trail, and just ride on the roads. I can see the traffic around me to judge my level of safety. I can't see the virus.

 

[byunbee]

If you follow the podcast of the Infectious Disease experts, all doctors, it has been mentioned several times that studies have been made about viruses being contracted just by breathing them in from the air, even when the person that expelled them has left the area and is now at a distance. If you don't breathe in, there is a good chance that they will still contact the fluid membranes of your body like your eyes, or your mouth, and enter your system through those avenues. If it was me, and I had only the trail to ride, I would certainly ride with a mask and glasses on, because those microscopic viruses can hang in the air a lot longer than one suspects.

There are several YouTube videos out explaining how the air around us is affected by others, and the time it takes for that expelled air to dissipate or settle. In the case of cycling through someone's "exhaust" I'd want to be at least 1/10 of a mile behind them to feel relatively safe, especially considering the viability and contagion rate of the current virus.

Given a choice I would completely avoid any heavily-used used trail, or even a lightly-used trail, and just ride on the roads. I can see the traffic around me to judge my level of safety. I can't see the virus.

Yep. Many people focus too much on the nose and mouth, but ignore the eyes which is basically an open membrane and easiest to get infected. Mask and goggles if you want to stay safe.

 

[tomjasz]

We walked or road bikes every day on a local trail around a lake, but now we're at risk. It's the 20-44 age group with the highest rate of infection that are grouping up without any masks or safety measures.

 

[AlanDB]

We are still riding the local trails because they are our only good option. We have had to shorten our rides because all the toilet facilities are closed. The trails are definitely busier than they have been in past years with both walkers and riders, but it is still possible to maintain a safe distance except when meeting or overtaking someone. That is a relatively brief encounter, but I guess it has some risk. I would say about 1 in 20 people I see on the trail are wearing a mask. I have not been wearing a mask while riding because it makes my glasses fog up, especially with the heavier breathing from the exercise. I do wear gloves in case I need to stop and touch something. I also take a mask with me ... just in case. I know I am taking a risk on the trail ... probably less risk though than my weekly trip to the grocery store or pharmacy. Most people with symptoms probably don't feel good enough to go out on the trail. I haven't really experienced anyone coughing or sneezing while out on the trail.

 

[indianajo]

I'm an expert at catching viruses since I do it 4 or more times a year, a dozen times when I worked in cubicals. Native Am immune system, forgets past diseases in a year or two. Covid19 is just like a cold virus but about 1000 times as deadly. I catch viruses within 3' of people indoors, easily tracked who from these days since i don't work. Frequent sources since retirement have been checkout lines at stores and people in hallways or doors. A physician gave me a 24 hour virus in March pushing through a door I was holding to his office without a mask. **** Europeans/MidEasterns/Orientals/Africans never suffer from colds until they are age 70.
I don't catch viruses outdoors, or in buildings with a lot of air flow like a bakery with 20 5 hp exhaust fans to take out the heat. I caught diseases at that last job from the co-workers in the shoe changing room. One guy in particular with a very active sex life donated the latest head cold or flu to me a half dozen times or so.
If the wind is up outdoors, I'd say you are generaly safe following the 6' rule with no mask. Bbcnews reported droplets will project 20' from a sneeze. So on calm days (which are coming) mask & glasses are recommended if you can't maintain that distance. Also washing hands before you touch face after removing mask & glasses. I use wraparound sunglasses mostly. Our bike path, the kids ride in packs all over the pavement, left right middle, so I quit riding it and went back to the street. I blow my nose too often to wear a mask on the bike. I have a designated pair of "dirty" gloves to wear inside stores and when I take the mask off. If the mask rests 3 days in the container, I count it as safe since they said the covid19 lasts 72 hours on surfaces. Less in bright sunlight they said at Trumps news conference where he recommended testing UV light inside the body. Don't do that. Been in stores 11 times since March 12 in mask & glasses, only caught a 24 hour virus from a co-volunteer at my job when he asked for assistance holding a part & I was 2' from him. Stopped going down there to work; his wife is a RN in a hospital. **** Europeans, he wasn't sick.
Another practice I have, I rinse food packages before opening, they have been handled by people. Over 72 hours since shopping, no problem. I quit eating at church "family" dinners decades ago, people frequently use their personal utensils to dip food out of common dishes, or taste the food when preparing. 42 hours after one of those dinners I frequently got a cold or flu, occasionally stomach virus. Hot food is not a problem, so the most recent church dinner I stuck my dish in the microwave for a minute and was fine after that.

 

[PatriciaK]

Actually, there is a real answer to this question, and experts in infectious disease and epidemiology have provided it. I'm only interested in what those people have to say, and, because I'm a higher risk person, will follow their guidelines . Good thing I'm on the opposite from my bike, so temptation is 2000 miles away!

 

[Saratoga Dave]

We’ve got a lot of great bike paths, paved and gravel or stone dust, around here and now that Spring is finally showing up, they’re pretty busy. I’ve moved back onto the roads, electing to head out fifteen or twenty minutes in the car to more rural spots. Fortunately we’ve got pretty good choices there too, but sadly not like that gorgeous Virginia gravel that I see in the ride report posts!

So too many people on the paths to feel comfortable, I’ll take my chances back on the roads again.

 

[tomjasz]

Mask for sure. The trail behind a rider is much more than 6'. Wash and sterilize daily. THIS is the problem. Riders and walkers are making a decision for me. Here the 20 to 44 group are the highest rate of infection. So fellas like me with serious health problems are smart to stay home. Having a pacemaker eliminates a lot of Rx solutions.

 

[tomjasz]

I'll stick with The Mayo Clinic

 

[tomjasz]

Where I live, the lockdown is scheduled to be lifted on 5/8.

Do you think it will happen? I'm nervously hopeful but expecting the worst. So many people are protesting and in my view, it will explode. One out of town relative visited a senior home, and was asymptomatic. 8 died and dozens more have traced back to the senior care. What the "experts" here keep doing is making it political. Just like the protesters. They are making choices for me. We're seeing POTUS supporters confronting those wearing masks.

 

[6zfshdb]

Do you think it will happen? I'm nervously hopeful but expecting the worst. So many people are protesting and in my view, it will explode. One out of town relative visited a senior home, and was asymptomatic. 8 died and dozens more have traced back to the senior care. What the "experts" here keep doing is making it political. Just like the protesters. They are making choices for me. We're seeing POTUS supporters confronting those wearing masks.

Although the national scene appears to be a bit chaotic, things in many states, including my home state of Pennsylvania, appear to be a bit more orderly. Our governor announced a 3 step plan to slowly open up the economy on a regional basis. The plan sets a formula based on the number of new reported cases per 100,000 population. The north central region, which was the least affected, will be first. If the number of cases increases significantly, the lockdown will be reinstated.

I know It's hard to be optimistic considering the worldwide numbers but I'm trying to keep a cautiously positive mindset.

 

[tomjasz]

Happy to be in Minnesota

Midwest governors form coalition for reopening
Joining governors on the West and East Coasts, seven Midwestern governors today announced a new coalition to open the Midwest economic region. In a letter from Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer's office, she and the governors of Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky announced the partnership.

"Phasing in sectors of our economy will be the most effective when we work together as a region," the letter said. "This doesn't mean our economy will reopen all at once, or that every state will take the same steps at the same time. But close coordination will ensure we get this right."

Today New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said his state and neighboring East Coast states will shutter nonessential businesses through at least May 15.

Cuomo said he is working with the governors of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Delaware to create a safe plan for reopening the economy.

"I need a coordinated action plan with the other states. So, one month, we'll continue the close-down policies. What happens after then? I don't know. We will see what the data shows," Cuomo said during his daily briefing from Albany. "I don't want to project beyond that period."

As of today, New York has 222,284 cases and 12,192 deaths. The New York death rate continues to spike as state authorities have now begun to include presumed COVID-19 fatalities in the daily totals.

According to a ProPublica investigation, New York City is recording an average of 200 in-home deaths per day, and Detroit and Boston have also recorded spikes in deaths at home, which may represent undercounted COVID-19 fatalities.

According to the John Hopkins University COVID-19 tracker, the United States has 629,264 cases, including 26,708 deaths.

“A curmudgeon's reputation for malevolence is undeserved. They're neither warped nor evil at heart. They don't hate mankind, just mankind's absurdities. They're just as sensitive and soft-hearted as the next guy, but they hide their vulnerability beneath a crust of misanthropy.”
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